tpatana said:
CanonFanBoy said:
Even that, 200mm / 50' from the edge of the ring/ @ f/2 only gives him .29' (less than 3") inside the ropes.
What/how exactly you're calculating? 200/F2/50' gives >2 feet of focus. So what you mean with the "inside the ropes"?
Sorry, typo. I should have written 2.29'.
There is a 2' apron around the outside of the ropes. That is a part of the ring.
Inside the ropes is a square measuring 16' on each side to 20' on each side (depending on the ring).
If the photographer is standing 50' from the edge of the apron with a 200mm lens set @ f/2... the in focus part of the image taken starts 48.89' from the sensor, which is just outside the apron on the photographer's side. So focus begins approximately at the outside edge of the apron. Even if he had been standing on the 2' apron, focus would not have begun until the complete other side of the ring. Nothing in the ring would have been in focus in that case either.
The in focus depth of field is only 2.29' deep, which takes us to just inside the ropes. The ring is 20' deep. Nothing in the ring will be in focus.
Sort of like this photo (Belongs to a friend, not me.). Depth of field doesn't just include the back of the photo where we ooo and ahh about OOF and bokeh, but the front too. Notice how everything in front of her is blurred and everything behind her is blurred. She is standing in that very narrow band of focus. You can see that band running across the photo on the road. Pretty cool example.
The same effect would take place in the boxing ring. The OP couldn't stop down because of low light. He shot wide open. narrow depth of field prevented him from getting in focus shots from whatever distance he was from the subject at the time.
Hope that helps.
This shot was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS, 1/250th, f/2.8, ISO 125, Aperture priority, pattern metering.
Nice effect, I think. Just not one you want in a boxing ring.